Galaxy S6 vs. iPhone 6 Plus: The biggest camera battle yet

We can’t say enough good things about Samsung’s excellent Galaxy S6. The company has built an impressive all around Android phone—among the best we’ve ever seen—and a big part of what makes it so great is the device’s camera. Past Samsung phones have always been competitive in terms of imaging, but the Galaxy S6 makes a case for being the best out there.

To really put it to the test, we decided to pit it against the iPhone 6 Plus. This isn’t a 1:1 comparison between devices; we won’t spend time talking about design, or battery life, or app selection. Instead, we’re entirely interested in how the images compare in a variety of different shooting situations (lowlight, bright light, etc.).

Even further, we’re going to focus on the stock software offered by each phone. While we stuck to auto modes for all the pictures you see in this post, it’s important to note that the shooting experience on the Galaxy S6 is different compared to the iPhone 6 Plus. By and large, however, most consumers will mostly be interested in turning the camera on, pointing at a subject, and taking a picture.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 sports a 16-megapixel camera with f/1.9 lens, optical image stabilization and the ability to shoot videos in 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps and 720p@120fps; in the front, the device sports a wide-angle 5-megapixel camera. The iPhone 6 Plus, meanwhile, sports an 8-megapixel camera with f/2.2 lens, optical image stabilization, and the ability to shoot 1080p@6-fps and 720p@240fps; the front-facing camera is 1.2-megapixels.

Mark will take you through how he approached this comparison, and share his thoughts about what device excelled in which situation. If you put a premium on image quality, this is the video to check out. Below you can see the galleries to best compare, and there are also links to our reviews of the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and iPhone 6 Plus.

It’s no easy task reviewing an iPhone. Apple isn’t like other phone makers and doesn’t create and launch several smartphone models throughout the year.

Instead, once per annum, Apple announces the new devices that it’s going to sell for the entire next 12 months. That’s it. It takes one shot a year, sits back and focuses on the next project on the table. Still, despite that approach, it manages to go toe-to-toe with Android makers that fire off several rounds each year.